They Met in the Summer
by Miss Pavalova
Summary: Oddly enough, it wasn't the unusual, vividly pink hair that shocked her first, but the widespread grin that he gave. It was so full of warmth and optimism; infectious to the point that after staring at it for just a second, a smile of her own had formed. "Why are you sitting here all alone weirdo?"
1. He Came With a Promise

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail in any way, shape or form.

Writing about a younger Natsu and Lucy is pretty cute~

I came up with the idea recently. I may actually expand this into a series of a few other one-shots based on an innocent friendship that they could have as children in an AU universe.

Happy Birthday to Lucy! It's just ironic that the first chapter is also about – Never mind. I might be spoiling.

I hope that you all enjoy~!

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**They Met in the Summer**

**01 – He Came With a Promise**

The playground was unusually silent that afternoon. The laughter of children didn't ring high, nor was there even the tiniest sound of a gentle breeze.

It seemed lonely.

The little girl padded towards the deserted swing set, rusted and worn from years of use. She walked with no spring in her step, and almost seemed forlorn. The young girl's face showed slightly dried tear tracks, and chocolate brown eyes which usually flowed with warmth were rimmed with red. Her face held a frown, sadder than many a person may compare. The girl seemed heartbroken, and any passer-by - had there been any - would have almost immediately stopped at the sight of her to question whatever had been troubling her.

Sadly, no such thing had happened.

With a heavy sigh, she sat herself on the middle swing. Her hands gripped the chains the held it up. She began to sway, her toes dragging across the sand. She absentmindedly made swirls with her foot, taking small delight in such a simple action.

Although the solitude was somewhat comforting, she wondered whether she was going to be all alone in what was meant to be a fun gathering place.

Why was it that her life was so lonely? She lived under the facade of happiness, but truly, she just felt lonesome; a girl with no-one to turn to.

Even on the most important day of the year, she was still left abandoned.

The creaking of her swing echoed. Consumed by her thoughts, she hadn't even noticed when small droplets had run down her pale cheeks, sprinkling onto the ground below.

Let alone when another person had managed to join her in that secluded place.

Her attention was caught when she heard the swing beside her creak from movement, in time with her own. Eyes widening in surprise, she glanced up to see the person who came to sit beside her.

Oddly enough, it wasn't the unusual, vividly pink hair that shocked her first, but the widespread grin that he gave. It was so full of warmth and optimism; infectious to the point that after staring at it for just a second, a smile of her own had formed. It felt like a foreign entity – not something that she was quite used to having on her face.

"Why are you sitting here all alone weirdo?"

She had to rub her eyes to make sure that she hadn't fallen asleep while swinging around, or anything of the sort. Had someone actually approached her? Had someone actually just _spoken _to her?

"Hey! Are you even listening to me?" the boy questioned, his tone a tad bit annoyed. He waved a hand in front of her face, to check whether or not she was paying attention. She shook her head, snapping her out of the disbelieving daze to nod vigorously at him in reply.

He stared at her, pointed eyes scrutinising her as if she were some mysterious alien that he had seen in one of those Sci-Fi films. Although they were a deep charcoal black, she could see a fiery spark from within. He didn't seem to be that much older than her; at most, a one year age gap or so.

Peculiarly, he was wearing a white scarf, the pattern looking almost like dragon scales, even though it was summer.

"Hi..." she mumbled, nervous at the fact that her brain had formed a word and processed it to come out of her mouth.

"So you can talk!" the boy exclaimed, making an utterly incredulous face which was enough to make her give a small giggle. At hearing the sound, his grin seemed to have spread wider. "And now you're smiling! You were sad earlier. I don't like it when people are sad. Why were you sad?"

He spoke at a breakneck speed, but it was his last question that froze her. Should she basically explain her predicament to this mysterious but adorably friendly boy? Or should she stay silent and wait for him to walk away.

At the point in time, the former choice was actually looking bright.

"Umm..." she uttered quietly, staring back down at the ground below. "Itwasmybirthdaytoday."

The boy blinked; clearly confused at the incomprehensible statement she had given.

She gulped, trying to ease her nerves, though it was a fruitless attempt. "It... It was my birthday today... But my Daddy forgot again... Like every other year."

He must have had amazing hearing, to hear words which she had barely whispered, because in another surprise to join the list, he moved forward to place his hand on her head. She flinched slightly, but calmed when she noticed that his hand was warm – a cosy type of warm. She looked at him with slightly watery eyes, confused at the gesture.

His eyes were trained to look away from her, and he appeared to be flustered. "Nobody should be alone on their birthday! So if you don't have anyone... then we'll just celebrate it together."

For a moment, it was like time had stopped. The statement slowly sunk into her system, and she couldn't help it when she expressed her total shock with a sharp gasp. She rubbed her eyes again, hoping that it wasn't all a mistake, or a dream, or a figment of her imagination.

The boy wanted to celebrate her birthday.

He wanted to celebrate _her __**birthday**_.

"I... I think that I'd like that. A lot."

It was his turn to be surprised. He actually hadn't been expecting a response, more to the point a kind response. But still, something in him compelled him to just talk to the girl. Finding out that it was her birthday and she was spending it alone – no person deserved something like that. Even if they were just some weird girl that he'd never met before.

It was just a plus that the little girl had the prettiest smile he'd ever laid eyes on.

He stuck his hand out, turning his head back so that they could see each other eye to eye. "My name's Natsu! And I promise to give you the best birthday celebration that you've ever had! And after that, I promise that we'll become the bestest of friends!"

For a moment, she was hesitant. Should she be so trusting to a boy she'd just met?

However, with one glance at his confident grin and tempting hand, she just couldn't say no.

Placing her own hand on top of his, she hopped off the swing. Wiping away the unshed tears in her eyes, the corner of her lips quirked up, forming a tiny smile. "My name's Lucy and I have no doubt that you'll definitely keep your promises."

After a short, awkward silence, they both laughed, the sound ringing high and clear throughout the playground. Without letting go of his grip, he began running forward, and Lucy could only hold on and believe that his promise wasn't just full of baloney.

Her faith held true, and to put it simply, it was the start of a wonderful friendship.


	2. He Came to Play Pretend

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail in any way, shape or form.

Second chapter of this little collection story! Little Natsu and little Lucy are just so adorable!

Thank you to **Lucy Ashley of Fairy Tail**, **sekushi na sakura subarashi**, **GoldenRose Tanya**, **Diamond Rainbows**, **Lemonsnaps**, **Sara**, **Guest**, **Queen of Narnia49**, **LiLyRoSe98 **and **Layla Penguin **for taking the time to review! I also want to thank anyone who's added this to their favourites or follows, or had simply read the first chapter and given it a chance!

Also, this story will not be about Lucy's birthday every year after the incident. It will be a collection of one-shots revolving around that single summer, focusing on the friendship (and somewhat romance) between Lucy and Natsu. I'm sorry if this disappoints anyone who had the idea in mind.

By the way, just in case anyone had forgotten, this is set in an AU~

Kudos to anyone that can guess which song I may have referenced to in the text~

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**02 – He Came to Play Pretend**

She hadn't been expecting him to be there.

In all honesty, she had thought the day before was merely a dream. A wonderful dream yes, but only a dream at that.

Whatever her mind had conceived, her heart was set on visiting that same playground the next day, wanting to believe that the promise of friendship was true.

And so she found herself at the swing set the next afternoon, and was quite surprised at the amount of kids her age that had appeared to play at the area.

All of them seemed to know each other one way or another – a motley bunch in her eyes. It was actually the first time she had seen so many kids gather at one spot, due to the seclusion that she had been kept in all her life.

Maybe she was just very lucky that she went to Grandma Spetto's house that summer.

"Hey! Lucy! You're back! I was scared that you weren't gonna come!"

Ignoring the possibility of severe whiplash, her head spun round at a speedy pace. On her face was probably an expression of utter shock, as she came face to face with the exact person that her mind had been so intent on thinking about.

He was wearing the exact same grin that charmed her the day before.

For a moment, she was dazed, and he took the time to tease her playfully. "Hey! Don't go back to not talking again! Jeez! You're such a weirdo!" he jested, poking her on the cheek with his pointer finger.

Aggravated by his lack of respect, she huffed and pouted, folding her arms and pointing her nose away from him. Some other children had paused in their actions to see what the commotion was about, grinning when they saw a frantic looking Natsu attempting to appease the strange new girl.

"Lucy?" he asked tentatively, suddenly looking frightened. Her steely gaze faltered for a moment, heart softening at the crestfallen look he was giving. "Hey Luce? I was just joking. Please don't be angry at me!"

"Since when did I ask you to call me Luce?" she questioned. He gulped. Their little audience hushed, waiting for the climax in this small show.

"Uhh..."

"I like it! I like it a lot!" she cried out boldly, grinning wildly to emphasise her point. He blinked, unsure of what had just happened. The other kids cheered, running over to finally meet this girl who had their friend wrapped around her tiny finger.

They swarmed her, making her overwhelmed. Never had she received such a welcome from anyone, let alone a group of children her age. They crowded, making attempts to talk with her with an energy that she's never seen the likes of.

An arm thrust its way in front of her, in a way, shielding her from the rest of the kids. Her eyes trailed up the arm to see Natsu, looking fiercely overprotective as he glared at the rest of his friends. "Hey! Lucy's _my _friend! I don't want you guys coming around trying to steal her from me!"

"Hey! Don't be so greedy!" a boy cried out, pushing his way to the front. His black hair looked dishevelled, and he was only wearing a pair of shorts and sandals. Lucy noted that there was a shirt discarded on the floor. "Maybe she wants to play with some other kids!" He turned to her and smiled coolly. "Nice to meet ya Lucy! I'm Gray!"

Before she could make a response, a shrill cry rung out. "Get away from him new girl! Gray-sama is for Juvia and Juvia only!"

A blue haired girl popped, her mouth curved into a disapproving frown. As she dragged away a struggling Gray, she glared spitefully at Lucy, muttering something with the words 'love rival' before taking her leave. Lucy bit her bottom lip, afraid of interacting with kids that had large, over-the-top personalities.

"With that sorted out," a girl began, stepping forward. To Lucy's surprise, Natsu shrunk back a little, looking nervous. The red-haired girl tossed a glare his way, and he squeaked and ran behind Lucy, as if she were the one protecting him then. "Lovely to meet you Lucy. My name is Erza."

The scarlet-haired girl looked stern; mature. She was probably someone that took responsibility over immature people like Natsu. To be polite, she accepted the outstretched hand and shook it, smiling a bit. "You seem like a kind girl. Nice to meet you to Erza!"

Contrary to whatever 'Erza' she had met earlier, there was a rapid change. The girl in front of her spluttered, her cheeks growing flushed. Confused, Lucy watched as Erza slowly walked backwards, still muttering something incomprehensible as she merged back into the group.

Lucy blinked at the curious behaviour, choosing to ignore it for the time being. Her eyes swept over the small group that surrounded her. They all seemed pleasantly nice, but she didn't particularly want to play with anyone then, well, with just one exception.

"I don't wanna hurt anyone... But..." Lucy began a bit hesitantly, poking her two forefingers together while starting to balance on the heels of her feet. "I sorta... Uhh... Wanna play with Natsu today... Not that I don't wanna play with you guys too! But I just wanna play with him just for today..."

There was a small silence, and Lucy was worried that they didn't accept the words well. Even Natsu seemed to be a bit shell-shocked.

Then they all began nodding and teasing, shouting something about her and Natsu 'sitting in a tree' or something of the sort. She didn't quite know the rhyme, but she did see the pink-haired boy go red like a tomato while yelling at all of them to shut up and scram.

After a minute or two, they complied, many vowing that they would have her to play with soon. Once they were gone, she turned to face Natsu and leaned forward, smiling shyly. "So, I chose you!" she chirped happily.

He grinned back, but she still noticed a slight flush coat his cheeks from earlier. "You picked right! I won't let ya down! And I know the perfect thing we can play!"

She cocked her head to the side, willing to go with whatever he had in store for her.

"Let's play pretend!"

**..O..**

She found herself standing in what Natsu and the other kids had called the playhouse. She thought it was an interesting place to be in. On her right were curved stairs that she had climbed up to get to her spot. Another way to have gotten up there were the ropes behind her, but she chose not to use that path since they were coarse under her hands. On her left was a pole which was one option to get down from her place. The other, more preferable way was the bright blue slide in front of her. There were kids lingering around earlier, but they were all shooed away when Natsu had arrived.

Natsu was on the ground in front of the slide. He was the one that had led her there. For their pretend, he had said something about fantasy, and her being the princess. He never told her what he was going to be.

"Natsu?" she cried out, standing on her tip-toes to see over the railing. He heard her call and waved. "You still haven't told me what you're gonna be!"

His face yet again adorned that cheeky grin of his. "I'm playing the dragon!"

She distanced herself a bit, confused at his odd choice. "Dragon? But aren't they mean and evil to the princess? I have a better one! You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess! It's a lov - !" She stopped mid-speech, remembering which lyrics she had been dictating. She was silly to even start thinking of the song. Thinking of her new friend that way brought heat to her face, so she quickly shook her head and covered her embarrassment with a smile.

He stared at her oddly and chose to ignore her behaviour. "You're acting like a weirdo again Luigi," he said absentmindedly, causing Lucy to pout. "Dragons are way cooler than stupid princes! Anyway! You're the princess trapped in a tower and I'm the awesome dragon that's here to protect you!"

His head turned sharply to his right, and he suddenly glared at the empty space beside him. "Watch out Lucy! There's evil ninjas here. They're everywhere!" Her eyes grew wide as she came to realise that they were really playing that game then.

She looked around her cautiously, imagining the situation. Her tower was made of large gray stones, barren except for the window in front of her and the bed that lay to the side. She could feel a mysterious presence near her, but there was no one there.

Before she knew it, she felt a strong wind brush her side. Screaming, her eyes darted wildly, searching for something that could help her.

"Lucy!" the voice of her friend called out. She almost forgot that he was there, too lost in her imagination. On her toes, she dashed for the 'window', which in reality was the opening for the slide. At the bottom, waiting for her with outstretched arms was Natsu, his piercing black eyes staring at her with worry. "Come down! I can protect you from the ninjas!"

Out of her mouth came a small whimper. She didn't know whether to believe him. It was very similar to their situation yesterday, in which she had put her faith in him to be her friend for as long as forever. She had to put that same trust again...

Even if all of it was just a game.

With a squeal, her eyes shut tight; she slid down, imagining herself leaping from the tower. Hot on her tail were the ninjas, a flicker of black from their masks to show her that they were there. Below her was _her_ dragon, awaiting her with open arms. "Natsu!"

Something warm wrapped around her as her feet touched the sandy ground. The imaginary scene she had conjured up disappeared, replaced with the real world. The things around her were actually arms that belonged to her pink-haired friend. Her face was buried in his chest, making it slightly hard to breathe.

When he let go of her, she took a deep breath. "Jeez Natsu... I couldn't breathe just then. Why'd you have to hug me?"

He clenched his right hand into a fist and bonked her head lightly. She cried out indignantly, her hands grasping for the spot he had hit. His face was serious. "You worried me stupid! You were screaming and stuff and I thought you were scared! So when you came down, I wanted you to not be scared anymore. Seeing you like that made me feel bad Luce... But since you were super scared, you're more of a weirdo."

Although his statement had ended with an insult, she felt a warm fluttery feeling in her stomach after his heartfelt words. Nobody since her Mama was still alive had said such a kind thing to her. It was a good feeling, and she hoped that more of it would come the more time she spent with her friend.

Making up her mind on what to do next, she stood up and brushed her dress off. Natsu watched her, wondering what his friend may be up to. Before he could do anything more, she was up and running, crying out in a loud voice, "Pretend is finished! Let's play tag! You're it!"

She continued the day with laughs and silliness that she hoped would continue for a very long time.


End file.
